CARLTON forward Elijah Hollands will miss the start of the season after taking leave due to personal reasons.

Hollands approached Blues officials several weeks ago asking for support to work through personal issues.

The 22-year-old has now decided to take leave to deal with his personal circumstances, a decision Carlton says it supports.

"We applaud Elijah for having the courage to come forward and ask for help, and we will continue to work with him to ensure he gets all the support he needs," Carlton general manager of football Brad Lloyd said.

"While Elijah has been engaged with the football program, quite rightly it is our care for him as a person which matters most, so this period of leave will allow him to focus on himself and he will be afforded as much time as he needs to do that.

"Elijah's level of involvement within the football program during this period will be worked through at the appropriate time, however that certainly sits secondary to Elijah's wellbeing – which is our number one priority.

"We would once again like to acknowledge Elijah for his willingness to come to us for support, and we will certainly continue to provide him with that support through this next period."

Hollands enjoyed a strong first season at Carlton, playing 22 games last year after arriving from Gold Coast.

He was banned for the start of the Blues' 2024 season after receiving a two-match suspension and a $5000 suspended fine for a breach of the AFL's Illicit Drugs Policy.

After earning his chance, Hollands became an important player for the Blues and kicked 17 goals in his 22 games while also averaging 17.8 disposals.

Carlton begins its 2025 season against Richmond at the MCG on Thursday night.